


obelus

by AStrangeDaze (TerraRising)



Series: avarice and morality [3]
Category: NU'EST, Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Gen, M/M, Magical Artifacts, Magical Realism, Mild Gore, Mystery, Spin-Off, Victorian-esque time period, alternating pov, author gives up on tagging prematurely again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-10
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:42:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27495172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TerraRising/pseuds/AStrangeDaze
Summary: Minhyun is no stranger to the feeling of falling.Bruises as a precarious babe. Scraped knees as a child. Over estimating his prowess while astride on a charger in his teens. Tumbling down a hill with Jonghyun in his arms, the two of them breathless with laughter, drunk off spirits and the moon. But this falling now, this endless fall that steals his breath away.It frightens him.
Relationships: Hwang Minhyun/Kim Jonghyun | JR
Series: avarice and morality [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1120821
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	obelus

**Author's Note:**

  * For [chaosmyths](https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaosmyths/gifts).



> All my love (and Words) for you, my love. Happy anniversary.

A knock on the door rouses Jonghyun from his thoughts. There, leaning against his doorframe stood Minhyun, wearing an expression of amused resignation on his face.

“Yes?”

“It is currently half past noon,” Minhyun states simply, hands in his trouser pockets as if he had not a care in the world even as Jonghyun startles and jolts away from his work desk.

Half past noon already? Quickly but carefully, Jonghyun stowed his tools in the leather case on his left hand side, before swiftly rewrapping the spelled silk around the artifact he had been studying. That done, he pushed himself to his feet, wincing slightly at the screech of the chair against the floorboards even as he trotted over to join Minhyun where he had still be waiting patiently.

“My apologies,” he coughs, embarrassed, “I’ve kept you waiting again, haven’t I?”

A smile softens the look on Minhyun’s face and the taller man reaches over to take one of Jonghyun’s hands in his, easing the sleeve he has started worrying away at with his fingers out of his grasp. “No worries,” warm, lightly calloused fingers slip between his own until they’re clasping hands, “I’ve been quite aware of your habits by now. Though I do wish you wouldn’t skip meals so.”

“I don’t skip meals,” Jonghyun gives a token protest, shoulders hunching at the disbelieving look Minhyun favours him with, “I simply partake in meals on a more flexible schedule.”

“Of course,” Minhyun drawls, “Very flexible indeed. Well, though you may not be, I am feeling quite famished and I do believe Dongho is quite ready to start lunch without us.”

“Oh dear, I’ll need to apologize to him as well….is Minki joining us?”

Minhyun laughs at the way Jonghyun’s brows tighten, reaching up to smooth the tension away without a second thought to how the familiar touch brought a blush to the other man’s cheeks. “If Minki were joining us and you were to have made _him_ wait until half past noon, I assure you, he would have stormed your office long before now.”

“Indeed. Well, I suppose we should hurry then, wouldn’t want to keep Dongho waiting longer regardless,” Jonghyun picks up his pace a little to a trot that has Minhyun laughing at the picture he makes, something he’s happy to keep up just to see a smile light up his beloved’s face for a while longer.

“He is likely to have started without us,” Minhyun teases, “Well, no matter. As long as you don’t dally like this tonight, I’m sure he will forgive you.”

“Tonight?” Jonghyun’s head snapped sideways, startled, “What is tonight?”

“Jonghyun, surely you did not forget?” Minhyun’s eyebrows climbed upwards towards his hairline as he stopped in his tracks, “The dinner party at Dongho’s?”

“That is tonight? I mean, yes, _of course_ that is tonight.”

“And you are still able to attend?”

“Yes, of course! I will attend the dinner party tonight as I had…always planned to do.”

“……you forgot about it entirely, did you not?”

“No…”

“You did.”

“I did indeed, but hush love, Dongho need not find out.”

* * *

Dongho’s townhouse is much the same as Daniel remembers it always being - cozy and just a little cluttered, decorated sparsely with well-loved items, mostly gifts from friends over the years or momentos of places and times dear to his cousin. All for the best, though, that it was just an intimate meeting amongst friends. There was scarcely enough room to throw a larger party, though for those, Grandmother would likely have insisted he make use of the family manor anyways.

“Are you going to sit here for the rest of the evening like a, a cinderblock of discontent, or are you going to mingle?”

Daniel looks up to see Minhyun standing in front of him, arms playfully propped on his hips in a pose that was meant to be admonishing. “A cinderblock?” he questions, amused.

“Well, you _are_ a Kang,” Minhyun insists, lips twisting into a grin, “I thought it was fitting. Now, how are you, my friend? It has been some time since I last spoke with you properly and might I say, brooding is not a look that you wear well.”

“I am not brooding,” Daniel gives a token protest even though he can see Minhyun was unlikely to believe him at all, “I am not!”

“You certainly resemble it though,” Minki quips, sidling towards them and collapsing artfully into the armchair beside Daniel’s, dramatic as always, “Tell me, is it a new look that they have you all cultivating to look more distinguished before the public? I shall have to file a complaint, give your department feedback that it presents poorly.”

“Oh stop it, I am not. I’m just,” Daniel sighed, “There’s a case still ongoing and instead we are here; it just doesn’t feel right.”

“It’s a case running cold, and you deserve some rest,” Minhyun points out, “Besides, if it’s not the beginning of a case, it’s the middle of one, or one that still needs wrapping up. There’s _never_ an appropriate time between you and Dongho, so stop being all maudlin and come eat. Lord knows why I’m surrounded by people who need to be wrangled into remembering their meals.”

“Now that I really must protest,” Daniel declares, even as he gets to his feet at the urging of the two men, “I am most _definitely_ not maudlin.”

It’s easy to rejoin the rest of the party with Minhyun carefully steering him in the direction of the livingroom by the grip he has on the back of Daniel’s elbow and he wonders if he really has given his friends the impression that he was about to bolt clean out of the room. It wasn’t his intention at all, but he couldn’t help that jittery feeling that always fills him when they are forced to leave cases hanging open. It takes Jisung all of two seconds after spotting him to begin piling food high on a plate that he then shoves into Daniel’s hands, “Eat, by the heavens you look knackered. Have you been skipping meals again?”

“He’s been skipping meals _and_ glutting himself on sugary things instead,” his cousin is quick to announce over his shoulder, that traitor.

Immediately Jisung is glaring at him and Daniel sighs, wondering if it was even worth it to defend himself, “It’s a natural response to stress!”

“There is nothing _natural_ about the rubbish that you put in your mouth,” the older man scoffs, “Now sit down and eat up. This is probably your first proper meal in days, isn’t it?”

Knowing better than to argue, Daniel sits and dutifully starts to eat the meal assembled for him. It takes only two bites before he’s eating ravenously - how did he forget how hungry he was anyways? Watching him for a moment, Jisung nods, leaving only to return with a glass of water that he sets within Daniel’s reach. He murmurs his thanks, mouth too full to be polite and Jisung finally leaves him to it, drifting off to catch up with Minki. To their left, huddles around a coffee table, he spies Jonghyun seated beside Lord Seongwoo, thoroughly immersed in dissecting one thing or another, elaborate formulas and runes scrawled over pieces of stray napkin until it seems like Dongho had finally given in and fetched the two of them some proper paper to write on rather than suffer the mess.

“Ah, I see you’ve found tonight’s main attraction,” comes Minhyun’s bemused voice from his right and Daniel turns, raising both eyebrows in silent question, mindful not to speak with his mouth full.

“Jonghyun’s team located an ancient tomb recently and there have been some artifacts they managed to unearth over the past few weeks; he’s been over the moon, spends every waking moment pouring over them, and much of his dreams doing that as well, I’m sure.”

“Are you terribly bereft without his company,” Daniel sings after he swallows, delighting in having the opportunity to tease, “If he is an enamoured with this new excavation as you implied, then I must admit, I am beyond surprised he deigned to grace us all with his presence today.”

“Oh, I knew what I was agreeing to when I first entertained the idea of this courtship, no need for your cheek,” comes the rueful reply, “And I’m _also_ quite sure he only managed to drag himself away from his work by the strength of brotherly bonds forged over two decades. Well, that and the fact that he has an opportunity to pick Seongwoo’s brain over some rather obscure runes tonight.”

The mention of Seongwoo has Daniel crinkling his nose in distaste before he could help himself and Minhyun cuffs him gently on the side of his head, making him feel quite like a chastised child. “Oh stop it,” the older man sighs, “You’re a man grown now, act like it. If your feud had any substantial basis to it, I would never dream of intervening but currently this is nothing more than the height of pettiness because he saw some pieces of paper on a desk that you missed.”

“How’d did you-”

“You forget much of what you babble drunkenly within earshot of your cousin.”

“Minhyun!” Any further disgruntled complaints Daniel could have made are cut off by Jonghyun’s sudden call from across the room. “Dearest, would you be so kind as to bring me my bags?”

The winning smile that Jonghyun throws along with the request has Minhyun rolling his eyes even as he gets to his feet gamely, “Which one, dear? I refuse to lug them all over, so you must be specific. I think you might have brought your entire workshop home with you tonight.”

Jonghyun ducks his head, cheeks flushed even as his companions rib at him good-naturedly, “Just the wrapped package from my satchel then, please.” 

“Done,” Minhyun announces, leaning over to rummage through the pile of bags hidden under the table two feet away from where Daniel was seated.

It takes him some moments before he emerges triumphantly with a bundle of spelled silks in his hands. “Ouch!” he exclaims, setting the bundle on the table momentarily so that he could readjusted the haphazardly wrapped silks, shaking out his right hand with pursed lips, “I do so hate static. Jonghyun-ah, I know you were in a rush but you have got to wrap priceless artifacts better than this! Ezra is likely to have your hide otherwise.”

Daniel watches as Jonghyun catches one of Minhyun’s hands when he’s near enough, pressing a kiss into his palm in thanks and apology for the trouble, something so soft and easy with the movement that it makes his gut clench with longing for a moment. Once upon a time, that was something that he wanted desperately for himself. He can still remember the beginnings of this courtship, watching as the two men whom he had always just known as his cousin’s boyhood friends gravitated towards the other when friendship blossomed into something different. More than the courage it took to defy tradition at the height of shifting times, it was their courage to risk losing something already so dear and beautiful that had always moved Daniel. And look at them now, so domestic and in love and _comfortable_ in that love, regardless of how many eyes were watching. He looks on as his cousin makes a ridiculous face with puckered lips at the two, only for Minhyun to reach over and cuff _him_ on the ear decidedly less gently than he had with Daniel.

Any sense of a slow, relaxing evening is then dispelled instantly as Dongho lets out a yowling war cry in protest, tackling Minhyun to the ground as the man screams his own outrage, trying to wrestle his way out from underneath a hundred and seventy odd pounds of muscle. Looking up to meet Jonghyun’s laughing eyes and Jisung’s reluctantly bemused glance, Daniel stood with a shrug and then threw himself into the growing fray.

Nothing like a good tussle to get him out of a funk.

* * *

“I cannot believe you thought the best course of action was to try and wrestle Dongho _and_ Daniel into submission,” Jonghyun laughs almost soundlessly, turning his head to hid a smile against the side of Minhyun’s throat.

“It _seemed_ as good an idea as any at that point,” Minhyun huffs, his breath tickling Jonghyun’s skin, “We have had scant time for any lighthearted play these days, a distraction would do them both good.”

“As discerning as always,” Jonghyun chuckles, pressing a kiss against Minhyun’s jaw before sitting up and pulling himself out of his beloved’s arms almost reluctantly, water sloshing around them at his movements, “Now turn around and let me wash your hair. Mayhap also a rub for your shoulders, you are going to be right sore tomorrow after that tussle, love.”

Minhyun turned easily, tilting his head back and letting Jonghyun rub the hair oils into his scalp, sighing contently as the soothing scent of rosemary and mint filled the warm air around them. “You are far too good to me, my love.”

Jonghyun pressed a fond kiss to the nape of Minhyun’s neck before tapping his shoulder in warning, giving him a moment to close his eyes before he poured water over the crown of Minhyun’s head, rinsing the suds out with care. “I’ve been absent more than I would have liked and most definitely more than you like recently,” he admits lowly, “Forgive me?”

“Nothing to forgive.” The rest of Minhyun’s words are lost to a groan of pleasure as Jonghyun digs the pad of his thumb into a knot at the base of his neck.

“No, but it _is_ high time I learnt to balance work with everything else in life.”

Minhyun snorts and Jonghyun swats him on the arm. “I _can_ learn,” he grumbles even as Minhyun continued to shake with laughter, skin warm and muscles gradually relaxing under Jonghyun’s persistent hands.

“You’ve said that since we were both just students at the University, dear heart. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t lose yourself so thoroughly in any project that catches your fancy. Worry not, I am not so lonely that I cannot cope without your devoted attention every waking moment. Oh, come now, don’t pout,” he turned to gather Jonghyun into his arms, eyes teasing even as he peppered Jonghyun’s face and neck with enough butterfly kisses for him to begin laughing under the onslaught, struggling away from the ticklish sensation, “There we go. A smile, how lovely. How fortunate I am.”

“Oh, have it your way if you must,” Jonghyun finally gave in and looped his arms around Minhyun’s shoulders, pulling him close instead, snuggling against fragrant and warmed skin with a sigh, “but we should vacate the bath soon or we’ll _both_ have wrinkles much before our time.”

“Indeed. Well, we cannot have that now, can we?”

That’s all the warning Jonghyun gets before Minhyun’s arms shift and he finds himself lifted clean out of the bath when his intended stands in one smooth movement and he barely bites back a shriek of surprise.

“Minhyun!”

“You wanted out of the baths,” is the jovial response and he resigns himself to this ridiculously playful mood Minhyun seems to have found himself in.

Still, it was hardly a hardship to stay standing while Minhyun dutifully dried them both with towels left to warm by the hearth before he once again swept Jonghyun into his arms, carrying him to the furs laid out in front of the fire. He hummed, content to have a comb worked gently through his hair before taking the comb and carefully working out the tangles in Minhyun’s hair. Task completed, he yawned, laying down on the plush furs and tugging at Minhyun’s arm until the man joined him.

“I’m tired,” he announces before another yawn overwhelms him.

Minhyun chuckled, pressing another kiss to his forehead, fingers combing through damp strands, eyes still hopelessly fond in a mirror of Jonghyun’s own expression. “Then sleep,” lightly calloused fingers brush along the bridge of his nose and then the apples of his cheeks before tracing the lines of his jaw, and Jonghyun hums, content to bask in his intended’s affections as the hearth warms and dries them both.

“We’re going to regret sleeping on the floor, furs or not,” he murmured, half lost to sleep already, “I can already hear the ways in which your back will creak tomorrow morning.”

“The floor will be fine for just _one_ night,” Minhyun’s chuckle sounds close to his ear and Jonghyun turns blindly, eyes already closed as he flings an arm over that familiar chest, snuggling close, “Besides, the furs are plenty clean.”

“Is this why the house is always so clean when I return from my little ‘research binges’ as you like to call them? You have been channelling all your restless energy into cleaning again?”

“It is productive.”

Jonghyun laughs even as he turns to press a kiss to Minhyun’s chest, the closest part of him he can reach without effort, “Thank you.”

Minhyun presses his lips to the crown of his head in return and then Jonghyun knows no more, drifting off with the warm of the hearth on one side and Minhyun on the other.

* * *

Minhyun wakes up in a daze, his right side feels almost frigid and his back aches from a night spent sprawled on the stone floor even with plush furs to cushion his rest. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he pushes himself up into a seated position slowly, careful not to wake Jonghyun yet.

The world around him seems hazy still, a strange dream-like quality about it as the light of the rising sun slowly filters through the windows, the crackling of dying embers from the nearby hearth tempting him back into the arms of slumber. Dream. Yes, what a strange dream he had had.

There had been rain, no, a river. And then...

_The sound of running water, and children laughing as they splashed along the banks. And the crossroads. He had been at a crossroads, chasing something, someone._

_Blonde hair that fanned out in the breeze, golden under the sun, and just out of his reach._

_Reaching and reaching only to grasp nothing but empty air._

_Solemn eyes the colour of rich cacao regarding him, vanishing all at once as he continues chasing._

_The crossroads, and then the banks of the river again. Laughter drowned out by the roar of a waterfall._

_Small hands._

_A shove._

_He was falling, falling and falling forever._

_Those solemn brown eyes again._

_So much like rain-soaked earth after a thunderstorm, now framed by a riot of inky curls._

_Petal pink lips, murmuring an apology._

_The screaming_

_of water against jagged rocks,_

_of children,_

_of wind around his ears as he falls and falls and falls and_

“Minhyun?”

_**falls**._

Jonghyun’s sleepy murmur breaks the chain of disjointed images and memories and Minhyun startles, feeling almost as if he had come out of a trance of sorts. Was this how Minki felt when he used his gift?

“Yes, love?”

“What time is it?”

“Just shortly after dawn, go back to sleep. The shadows under your eyes hang too heavily still. You need rest.”

“Mmm,” Jonghyun turns over lazily and then winced, “Yes, but perhaps we should move back to the bed, the floor really is too- Minhyun!”

“Wha-”

“You’re bleeding!” Jonghyun sits up in a rush, pushing aside the furs draped over his lap as he scrambles to cup Minhyun’s face with both of his hands.

“I’m bleeding?” startled, Minhyun reaches up to touch his own face, fingers coming away bloody and he frowns, wondering how he had missed that, “Oh dear, a bloody nose. Don’t fret, I’ll be right back.”

“Do you need anything?” Jonghyun calls after him as Minhyun hurries into their wash room.

“I will be fine! It is nothing more than a bloody nose, really, perhaps yesterday evening _was_ too excitable with me,” he yells back even as he tries to staunch the flow of blood, “You will have to dissuade me the next time I get it into my head to wrestle with those two.”

“Here,” Jonghyun sidles up from behind him, passing him a chuck of ice wrapped in a handkerchief, brow furrowed with concern as he smoothed a hand up and down Minhyun’s back.

“Thank you, love. I’m fine, really, I promise.”

“No more rough housing for you,” the shorter man clucks, batting one of Minhyun’s hands away as he makes to clean off the blood properly, “that’s an order.”

Minhyun laughed, the sound nasally as he continued to wrestle with his bloody nose, “Yessir, absolutely, no rough housing at all, no siree.”

That earns him a flick to his forehead that he laughs off, “And no more cheek from you!”

“I do so love it when you get all bossy with me.”

“Oh hush, tilt your head the other way for me.”

“Yes, my love,” Minhyun complied with a sigh, taking in the sight that they made in the mirror on the far side of the room. For a moment, he could have sworn it was those solemn, cacao eyes that met his gaze in the polished silver rather than his own, but it was gone in a blink.

_What a strange dream indeed._


End file.
